Mrs. Ann (Ellington) Farris Wheeler, 95, of Alpharetta, Georgia, formerly of Popular Plains, Fleming County, Kentucky, departed this life peacefully on February 2, 2019. Ann was born November 28, 1923, and attended Fleming County High School, she was predeceased by her beloved parents, Wesley Arthur and Myrtie Ellen (Hamm) Ellington of Fleming County, Kentucky, her first husband, Sgt. John Morgan Farris, Sr., US Army Air Corps. (WWII) of Stone Mountain, Georgia, her second husband of 39 years, Cmdr. Hugh H. Wheeler, U.S. Navy Ret., of Johns Creek, Georgia, her eldest son, John Morgan Farris, Jr., of Sandy Springs, Georgia, her brothers, Oscar, Lester, and Kelly Ellington, sister, Audrey (Ellington) Christman, nephew, James Wesley Ellington, Ph.D., of Storrs, Connecticut, and nieces, Betty Ann (Christman) Johnson of Fleming County, Kentucky, Doris Jean (Ellington) Gay of Greenville, South Carolina, and step-son, Jeffrey Wheeler of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Ann married her first husband, John Morgan Farris, Sr., on July 25, 1942. He was her high school sweetheart and her devoted husband for 32 years and the father of her two sons. While John served overseas in the U.S. Army Airforce as a waist-gunner on a B25 bomber, she supported the war effort as a “Rosie the Riveter” at Curtis Wright Aircraft Company in Columbus, Ohio. In grade school in Fleming County, Kentucky, her friend and classmate, Pfc. Franklin Sousley, was one of the six U.S. Marines who were photographed while raising the U.S. flag on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII. PFC Sousley lost his life on that island. After the sudden and unexpected death of her first husband, John, Ann married her second husband, Cmdr. Hugh H. Wheeler, U.S. Navy-Ret., on August 4, 1979. During their 39 year marriage, they were truly devoted to each other and enjoyed frequent trips overseas, attended many Navy and military balls, and enjoyed weekly, and sometimes daily, outings to movies and dinner. Their romance never dimmed despite the physical challenges they both endured with advancing age. Until the end, Ann maintained that special sparkle in her bright blue eyes and inspired all who knew her with her unwavering courage and determination in bravely facing the untimely loss of both her first and second husbands and her eldest son, John. While Ann was blessed with uncommon beauty throughout her life and was an excellent homemaker, seamstress, avid world traveler and excellent cook; she will forever be remembered by her family and friends for her abiding love and undying devotion to her loved ones. She is survived by her youngest son, James Farris and wife Linda of Milton, Georgia, grandsons, Shane Farris and wife Nina of Alpharetta, Georgia, James Farris, Jr. and wife Kristie of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Robert Farris and fiancé Rachel Charney, of Canton, Georgia, great-grandchildren, Anna and Johnny Farris of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Kiley and Hunter Farris of Virginia Beach, Virginia, nephew, Donald Christman and wife Louise, of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, great-niece, Angie (Christman) Graham and husband, David, of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, great-niece and great-nephew, Kaylee and John Graham of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, and three stepchildren, Linda Bass of S. Pasadena, Florida, Timothy Wheeler of Lawrenceville, Georgia and Scott Wheeler of Kansas City, Missouri, stepgrandchildren, Lee and Austin Bass of S. Pasadena, Florida, and her dearest friend, Jade Kurtz of Alpharetta, Georgia. A celebration of her life will be held at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, Sandy Springs, on February 9, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., with Rev. Thomas Martin officiating. The family will receive friends on Saturday, February 9, 2019, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. A private committal will follow the memorial service at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.
